


Sky Full of Stars

by YaBoiBellabean



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Angst and Romance, Drama, Drama & Romance, Endgame Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Romance, Slow Burn, adrienette - Freeform, ladrien, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:41:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27582209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaBoiBellabean/pseuds/YaBoiBellabean
Summary: Together, Ladybug and Chat Noir could take on the world. Together they would take down Papillon. And together they will fall in love under a sky full of stars.slow burn adrienette
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 41
Kudos: 36





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sagansjagger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagansjagger/gifts).



> Welcome to Sky Full of Stars.
> 
> This is a revamp and reformat of a story I'd been writing before; if you've already read Cadeaux de la Vie, there are minor changes in the story, but there is nothing huge that changes the plot. This has been reformatted, not only to reduce chapter size (so that I will be able to update weekly), but also to make chapter size more consistent for a better reading experience. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you enjoy.

Even if life doesn’t always give us the gifts we were hoping for, the real gift is life itself.

The words Master Fu had left in his letter to Marinette reverberated throughout her mind as she watched Adrien sit beside Kagami. She felt her heart sink as he leaned in to wipe ice cream from her lips; it was too much to watch. She probably shouldn't have been watching anyway. Quietly, she sat down beside Luka and flashed him a forced smile. “Can I hear that tune now?”

“Are you sure you want to hear it?” Marinette nodded. Luka’s fingers plucked the strings. He glanced down at the beautiful girl, now leaning on him, and couldn’t help but smile. This moment was everything Luka had wanted since he had first laid eyes on her. Well. Almost.

Marinette quietly spooned ice cream into her mouth to try to hold back the tidal wave of sadness that was sweeping across her heart. When she and Adrien had first met, she'd detested him, though it didn't take long for her feelings for him to shift. Gradually, her crush on him developed into something more and before she knew it, she'd fallen in love with him. Her throat tightened; it took everything she had not to cry. She blinked back tears and ate another spoonful of ice cream.

“What did you think?” Luka glanced down at Marinette; she'd become quite tense. He'd been hoping to pull her from her thoughts and cheer her up, but it didn't seem like it was going to happen. He knew that her thoughts revolved around Adrien; she still loved him and there was nothing he could do to change that. All he could do was be there for her as much as she’d let him.

“Can you play it again?”

“When you’re happier, I will. Because,” he ran his fingers across his strings producing a minor chord, “this is how you feel right now. And we both know that this isn’t you, Marinette.” He watched as she leaned forward, looking down at the complete opposite end of their group of friends. There was nothing that he could do to help her in this moment, aside from staying by her side. He closed his eyes and softly began plucking the strings.

Marinette let out a sigh and blinked back more tears. Only a few days beforehand, Adrien had told her that he had feelings for another girl. He poured his heart out just before she'd managed to empty hers. Seeing him so happy with Kagami made her happy for him. That was what she wanted most, right? For Adrien to be happy? And it seemed like he was. She wasn’t envious of Kagami, not really. She made Adrien smile. Adrien loved Kagami; he’d told Marinette himself.

So...if she was happy that he was happy, and if she wasn’t jealous of Kagami because she made him happy and they were friends, then why did it hurt so bad?

Before she knew it, tears had built up in her eyes and threatened to spill over onto her cheeks. Marinette dropped her ice cream into the Seine and covered her face with both of her hands.

She couldn’t let anyone see her like this, but the sound of the ice cream hitting the water’s surface resounded through the air and all of her friends looked down at her with concern. Abruptly, she stood up and forced a laugh and a smile. “Clumsy Marinette, always dropping things. My uh, my phone buzzed and uh, I, uh, you see it scared me. Yeah. My uh, parents, they need me to um, phone buzzed and yeah. I have to help my phone. I mean my parents.” Marinette looked down at Luka. What was that look he was giving her? “I uh, thank you, Luka. The song. It was lovely. And I am sorry I dropped the ice cream. But,” she sighed, “I have to go.”

“I’ll walk you home then.”

“No!” Marinette exclaimed and covered her mouth. She quickly continued, “I mean uh...” She waved her hands back and forth and grinned. “No what I mean to say is, uh, stay here and hang out with everyone, Luka. I can walk myself home. No need for you to go home early on account of me.” Marinette felt ashamed for lying, but she couldn’t stand to be there anymore.

Alya handed Nino's headphones back to him. She kissed his cheek and got up. “I’ll see you later, Nino.” She turned her attention to Marinette, still babbling about why Luka didn’t need to walk her home. “Marinette!” she waved, “Wait for me! I have to do some homework and I need help!”

Surprised, Marinette turned away from Luka and watched Alya walk toward her. She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t let Alya walk her home if Luka couldn’t walk her home. The last thing Marinette wanted to do was hurt Luka’s feelings; he had always been so good to her. But Alya was her best friend and she really could use her company but. Luka. “Alya,” Marinette began, but Alya pressed her finger to Marinette’s lips.

“Marinette,” Alya paused. Everyone was watching now and she knew there was something wrong with her best friend. She probably knew why, but she wouldn’t say. She would talk to her in private. “Marinette, I really need some help with our science homework. It would be nice to eat pastries and get help while you work.”

Blinking back tears, Marinette felt defeated in more ways than one. She let out a sigh. “Alya, I really want to help you with your homework, but my parents need me.”

Luka quietly watched the exchange, knowing full well that Marinette needed Alya more than anyone in that moment. A sad smile crept onto his lips as he rose to his feet. “Marinette,” Luka said, “Let Alya do homework while you work. Helping her will help you reinforce your own knowledge. Besides,” he put a hand on her shoulder, “I’m working on a new song and I think Nino might be able to help me. So you two run along.”

“You’re already leaving?”

Marinette froze.

Adrien walked toward the three of them while Kagami stayed seated, eyes following him.

Marinette abruptly grabbed Alya’s hand and turned around. “We’ll see you guys at school tomorrow! Bye!” The tears finally began running down her cheeks and a breath hitched in her throat. She had to go. Now. She couldn’t let anyone, especially Adrien, see her cry. Marinette began running down the street, pulling Alya along with her; she needed to get away. She needed to be as far from Adrien as she could be.

⭑･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*:✼✿ ✿ ✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

Adrien threw himself onto his bed. The events from earlier that afternoon played over and over again in his head. Why did Marinette run off like that when he approached her? Everything seemed fine while they were at André’s getting ice cream. “Does she hate me?”

Plagg ignored Adrien’s question. Of course he didn’t want Adrien to feel the way he did, but there was nothing to be done about it. The kid was blind; it was blatantly obvious to everyone else that Marinette was in love with him. He hummed as he took a bite from the wheel of camembert.

“Plagg, why does Marinette hate me? Does she still hold the gum thing against me? Was it the wax museum thing? I don't understand. Did I do something wrong to upset her?”

Plagg sighed. He didn’t want to meddle in the affairs of humans anymore than he had to, but he couldn’t ignore Adrien’s plea. “I don’t know if hate is the right word, but I don’t think there was anything you’ve done, at least while I’ve been with you, to make her feel that way. Did you remember to order more camembert?”

“Camembert, camembert! That’s all you care about, Plagg,” he softly said, turning over onto his back. “I just don’t know why Marinette hates me.”

“Why are you thinking about Marinette anyway? Aren’t you thinking about the wrong girl?” Plagg replied, shoving more camembert into his mouth.

Adrien’s fingers curled into his hair and he felt his eyes watering up. “I hate this. Why do my thoughts always go back to Marinette? Maybe,” he paused, “Maybe it’s because she reminds me so much of Ladybug. She is kind and always stands up for what is right, even when it hurts her.”

“There you go again,” Plagg commented, “thinking about the wrong girl. Weren't you going to change targets? Ladybug is in love with someone else. She has told you that more times than you can count on your fingers.”

“Kagami.” Adrien stared up at the ceiling in his room.

“You left her for Marinette. Again.”

Closing his eyes, he knew Plagg was right. It wasn’t the first time that he’d left Kagami for Marinette. Why did he keep doing that? Kagami clearly cared for him while Marinette seemed to despise him. Did Kagami notice? He hoped she didn’t. Adrien had gone right over and sat back down beside her. He was just saying bye to a friend, wasn’t he? Were they even friends or was Marinette just being nice? “Plagg, why are things so complicated?”

Plagg floated over to his partner and landed on the pillow next to him. He felt bad for the kid. “You’re a teenager. Teenagers over-complicate everything. Perhaps for a bit more camembert, I can offer you a bit more advice?”

Shaking his head, Adrien couldn’t help but smile. He got up off of his bed and gave Plagg more cheese. “I don’t know how you can eat this. It smells awful.”

Plagg excitedly floated over and snatched up the cheese from between his partner’s fingers. “My sweet, sweet camembert.”

“Okay so what should I do, Plagg? What should I do about Kagami? Do you think I need to make it up to her? Do you think she even noticed I chased after Marinette? And Marinette. How do I figure out what the problem is?” Adrien asked, dejectedly.

“Maybe, just maybe, you picked the wrong target in the first place,” the kwami started, “You always go after Marinette when you should be staying with Kagami. What does that tell you?”

Adrien sat back down on his bed. He liked Kagami. She was a very talented fencer and she was beautiful. They were both part of the same world; they understood one another without needing words. Of course he liked Kagami and he didn’t want to hurt her.

But where did Marinette come in?

Adrien pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up Marinette’s contact information. He started typing out a text and then decided it sounded stupid and started over again. He erased it again. And again. And again. Growing frustrated at not knowing what he was trying to get out of this or even how to strike up a conversation, he got up and sat down at his desk. “Mom…” he quietly breathed, “Mom I don’t know what to do. I don’t know why Marinette hates me. One minute she will give great advice and the next she avoids me. I don’t know, Mom. I can’t just text her and ask her, ‘Hey Marinette, what’s up? Why do you hate me so much?’ I just don’t know what to do, Mom. I wish you were here.”

Plagg watched Adrien and felt guilty for not being able to help more. He considered asking for more camembert to break the silence that befell the room, but decided against it. He wasn’t able to reveal Marinette’s secret identity to him, even if he wanted to. It’d solve everything.

Adrien’s phone buzzed and lit up. He picked up from his desk. “Huh. Message from Nino.”

**‘Hey dude, what’s up? Did you finish the math homework?’**

Nino. Nino knew the answer to everything. Why hadn’t he thought of texting him before? Nino was dating Alya and Alya was Marinette’s best friend! He had to know something. 

_‘Yeah I finished it on Saturday. I don’t know. I have a lot on my mind.’_

After a few seconds, his phone buzzed again. **‘Is something wrong?’**  


_‘Do you know why Marinette hates me?’_ Adrien stared at his phone, impatiently waiting for a reply. What was taking Nino so long? His message was definitely read. Was Nino leaving him on read? Nino wouldn't leave him on read. It wasn't like him. His phone buzzed again. 

**‘Just talk to her.’**

Frustrated, Adrien spun around in his chair and replied, _‘Okay, but how? I can’t just text her and ask her why she hates me.’_

**‘She doesn’t hate you. Trust me. Just talk to her.’**

He set his phone on the charging bay and sighed again. “Plagg, how do I talk to her?”

“With words.”

Then it struck him. Adrien couldn’t talk to Marinette about why she hated him, but maybe Chat Noir could. He wanted to fix whatever it was that he’d done wrong; Marinette had always been so kind to him. He had to make things right. “Plagg, Transform Me!”

⭑･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*:✼✿ ✿ ✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

Marinette leaned on the railing of the terrace. Alya had finally just left after hours of consoling her and now it was Tikki’s turn. Her kwami sat on her shoulder and nuzzled her neck. “Marinette, take all the time you need. But maybe you should try to get some sleep. Did you finish all of your homework?” 

She sniffled and nodded. “I just don’t think I can sleep yet, Tikki. I have so much on my mind.”

“I know you do, Marinette. But you should try to get some rest. If an akuma attacks, we need you at your best!”

“You’re right, Tikki. You always are. I just need to cheer up! Sleep will help for sure.” Marinette ran her fingers through her loose hair and moved toward the entrance to her room. She stopped. “Tikki,” she whispered, “Go inside and stay near. Someone is watching.”

“Be careful, Marinette.” The kwami descended toward the door and phased through to the inside of Marinette’s room, preparing to be called upon.

Marinette turned back to the railing and scanned the skyline. She couldn’t see anyone. Maybe she was wrong. Her gaze turned upward toward the night sky and her thoughts from earlier began to consume her once more. Wiping her eyes, Marinette let out a small whimper, allowing her tears to fall freely.

“Good evening, Marinette.”

A breath caught in Marinette’s throat. She didn’t need anyone seeing her like this; not Alya, not Luka, not Tikki, and certainly not Chat Noir. She wiped her tear-splotched face and looked up at the hero perched on the railing with her red-rimmed eyes. “H-hi. What are you doing here?”

Chat Noir climbed down from the railing and crouched down next to the crying girl. “I was in the neighborhood and,” he trailed off for a second and assessed the situation. No jokes this time. It wouldn’t be appropriate. “And I thought of you. I just needed someone to talk to tonight. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you look like you could use the same.”

Marinette sniffled and wiped her eyes. She didn’t think her day could get any worse, yet here she was, in her pajamas, bawling her eyes out, and Chat Noir was watching her. At least he didn’t know she was Ladybug. If he'd seen Ladybug like this, he would've been heartbroken and she didn't need that on her conscience on top of everything else.

Quietly, he placed his hand on her cheek and wiped away the tears with his thumb. “Why are you crying, mon amie? Did someone hurt you?” Was it his fault Marinette was crying? He swallowed back his anxiety and waited quietly.

She shook her head and leaned into his touch. It was comforting to be with her partner, even if he didn’t know who she was. Marinette’s tears began to slow and finally she opened her eyes and looked into his. “Oh no, Chat. I did this to myself.”

A look of concern washed across his face. He continued to wipe her tears away silently; he didn’t want to interrupt her if she wanted to elaborate. Chat Noir continued drying her tears until she pulled away and crossed her arms. He hadn’t noticed the goosebumps on her skin. “What do you mean you did this to yourself?”

She just smiled and shook her head. “It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. You’re already out saving Paris day in and day out. I don’t want to burden you with my silly problems too.”

“You’re never a burden, Marinette.” He hopped down from his perch and extended his hand to hers. Hesitantly, she took it and he pulled her close, gently embracing her. “Do you remember when I showed you the surprise I had set up for Milady?”

“Of course, Chat. It was beautiful.”

Suddenly, he felt his own eyes begin to water. “She’s told me time and time again that she’s in love with someone else. I'm starting to think it’s time that I let her be happy with whoever she’s in love with. A big part of me just wants to give up.” Burying his face into her hair, he breathed deeply, the scent of cinnamon and vanilla swirling through the air, completely enveloping him.

Marinette winced at the irony of the situation. “Love troubles too, huh?”

Shocked at hearing her words, he pulled back and looked her in the eyes. Had she and Luka had a fight? Is that why she’d left in a hurry today? “You too?”

Marinette pulled away from his embrace and leaned forward onto the railing once more; Chat Noir followed suit and the two of them watched the star-speckled sky together in silent understanding. “I loved him so much,” she quietly said. “But he loves someone else. So I guess we’re in the same boat, huh?”

Chat Noir chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I suppose we are.” Wait. She and Luka weren’t dating? Had Luka turned her down? Seeing his good friend, Marinette like this made his heart ache. “Marinette?”

“Yes, Chat Noir?”

He wanted to ask about Adrien, but decided against it. It wasn’t an appropriate time to ask. He would ask her at another time. He looked down at her and smirked. “Isn’t it a little late for you to be up? The clock’s about to strike midnight. I can’t have my princess turning into a pumpkin, now can I?”

A wide smile spread across Marinette’s face and she laughed. “Thanks Chat. For cheering me up. It,” she tucked her hair behind her ear, “It meant a lot. I have a lot going on in my personal life at the moment. I need to just forget about him and focus on the important stuff. Finals are coming up and I promised Alya I would help tailor a dress for a date with Nino. They’re planning on doing something fancy, I guess.”

“You like to sew?” He asked, though he already knew the answer. Marinette was a very talented collège student. She'd shown great promise on multiple occasions; it was very likely she could become a fashion designer right out of lycèe. Not only had his father been impressed with Marinette’s cleverness with her derby hat design, she also didn’t go unnoticed by Audrey Bourgeois. Audrey had offered to take Marinette to New York with her, but she declined, citing her need to be near family and to finish school.

“Yeah. I really like to design and fabricate new clothing and accessories. I even made a hat that Adrien Agreste modeled at a fashion show recently.” The smile faded from her face as thoughts of Adrien and Kagami flooded her mind again.

“You’re not smiling anymore. You designed a hat chosen by Gabriel Agreste and his son modeled it. So why the long face?”

Marinette paused thoughtfully. “The fashion show was attacked by an akuma.” She didn’t want to give away too much. “Adrien was turned into glitter and then stolen away by the akuma. I’m glad Ladybug saved everyone, since you weren't there to help her,” she teased and tapped his nose.

“Milady is very talented and can handle herself. She doesn’t need me. But just being around her makes me,” he smiled and looked down into Marinette’s eyes, “happy.”

A pang of guilt hit Marinette. It was her fault Chat Noir was so unhappy. She averted her gaze and sighed. “I should probably go to bed. Thank you for visiting me, Chat Noir. You made me feel a lot better,” she lied. Marinette had never felt so awful in her life. Not only was she suffering from heartbreak, but she was responsible for making him feel the same way. And she’d lied again. What was she doing? She was starting to sound like Lila!

“I’m glad to hear that,” he smiled. “I’m happy to have helped. I should probably be on my way.”

Marinette stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Have a wonderful evening, Chat Noir. And thank you,” she tucked her hair behind her ear again, “for everything.”  
“Goodnight, mon amie,” he said and winked. Chat Noir climbed on top of the railing and bounded off from rooftop to rooftop. When he was sure he was out of sight, he raised his hand to where her lips had just been. “Marinette…”


	2. L'incindie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The One with the Dragon

Setting her books down on the desk, Marinette sunk into her usual seat next to Alya. “Good morning, Alya.”

“Good morning, Marinette. You look awful.”

“That’s not very nice!” Marinette shot back, laying her head in her arms. “I didn’t sleep very well last night.”

Alya placed her hand on her best friend’s back and smiled warmly. “Thanks for your help with my homework yesterday. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Marinette chuckled and glanced up, “Yes you could’ve. You already knew everything. I don’t understand why you needed my help in the first place.” As Adrien walked into the classroom, Marinette's smile faded from her lips; seeing him was like a punch to the gut.

The fact that they'd made eye contact was absolutely horrific in and of itself. Marinette wasn't ready to see him, let alone interact with him. She felt absolutely nauseated. Maybe she could go to the nurse's office? Maybe she could go home sick? No. Her parents would hover over her and smother her with affection. Marinette desperately wanted to be alone. And if she went to the nurse's office, she would probably get sent home. Which would still be going home sick. She'd have to tough this out.

Cheerfully, Adrien waved to her, flashing her a broad smile. “Hey Marinette. Good morning.”

Picking up her head from her arms, she forced a grin and waved back, immediately averting her gaze to Alya. “So Alya,” her voice cracked, “I was wondering if you wanted to come over today after school to try on the mockup?”

Adrien noticed her avoidance again. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he took his seat and pulled out his tablet. She looked exhausted, like she'd been crying all night. Unfamiliar dark circles appeared under her red rimmed eyes. Her typically neat pigtails were messy and uneven. Seeing her look like that tugged at Adrien’s heart, afterall, Marinette was his friend, regardless of what she thought of him.

Tossing his bag on the table, Nino slid in next to Adrien. "Morning dude! What's up? You look tired, man."

"Thanks for reminding me I look bad," Adrien joked, bumping fists. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm good. How did last night go?" Before Adrien could answer, Nino turned to greet Alya and Marinette and the look on Marinette's face told him everything he needed to know. He redirected his attention back to Adrien and in a low voice hissed, “What in the hell did you say to her last night?”

“I didn’t talk to her last night,” Adrien quietly admitted, scratching the back of his head. “I just didn’t know what to say. I can’t exactly just ask her why she hates me.”

Nino shook his head and pulled out a pencil. “You’re clueless, man. Alya would kill me if I said anything.”

“I would kill you for what?” Alya questioned, leaning forward and poking the back of his head.

“N-nothing,” he stuttered, smiled, and shrugged. “I was just talking to Adrien about the Paris Game Expo. I guess he's going with Kagami.”

Upon hearing that, Marinette laid her head back onto her folded arms and squeezed her eyes shut; it was all she could do to hold her tears back. The moment Miss Bustier walked in through the door, Marinette’s hand flew up.

“Yes, Marinette?” Miss Bustier gently asked.

“Can I sit in the back today? I’m not feeling so well. I don’t want to be a distraction to my classmates.” Miss Bustier nodded and Marinette gathered her things, making her way to the back of the classroom.

“Lila, why don’t you move down to the front so you don’t get sick?” Miss Bustier suggested. Marinette flinched but said nothing. Adrien was dating Kagami, wasn't he? Then Lila had no chance, not that she would've had one anyway. Both she and Adrien knew that she was a manipulative shrew⸺not that Adrien would say so in so many words. But even if he wanted to date Lila, it didn't matter, not really. Did it? Yes, yes it did because Lila was a compulsive liar but...whatever Adrien decided to do with his life wasn't her business. It was clear her feelings were entirely one-sided and the sooner she got it through her thick skull, the better. And she needed to stop thinking about Adrien. No more Adrien-centric thoughts. No more thinking about stupid Lila kissing him. The first thing she was going to do when she got home was take all of her pictures of him off of her wall. She was going to find a new computer lock screen and a new wallpaper. No. More. Adrien.

Alya raised her hand and asked if she could sit with Marinette⸺in case she needed anything, of course. She and Nino exchanged a meaningful look as she gathered her things. Placing her hand on her best friend’s back, she rubbed tiny circles with the pad of her thumb. “It’s going to be okay, Marinette.”

“I wasn’t planning on being here with you people today,” Chloé snorted. “Come on, Sabrina.” She dragged her friend across the classroom and sat down in her usual seat, just as pouty as she’d ever been. Glancing over at Adrien, she smiled as sweetly as she could. “Except for you, Adrikins. I’m always happy to be around you.” Sabrina set Chloé’s bag down, pulled out her tablet, and only then did she take her own seat.

Marinette couldn’t be bothered to listen to Chloé today. She was too tired to deal with her nonsense. Apparently her plan to move to New York with her mother had fallen through. But Marinette didn’t care. She knew Adrien cared for Chloé and again, she just wanted him to be happy. She’d get over her selfish feelings and become a good friend to him, in her own time. Wait. She needed to stop thinking about Adrien. Her attention turned to Alya; she was typing out a text to someone. Probably Nino. Marinette bit her lip. Nino sat next to Adrien. And Nino was best friends with Adrien, who was happy with Kagami⸺No! She needed to stop thinking about Adrien. Closing her eyes, she listened to Miss Bustier’s soft voice, lulling her to sleep.

⭑･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*:✼✿ ✿ ✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

A short, thin man, no older than twenty, crumpled to his knees, allowing a large fiery gem to fall to his lap. He’d spent the majority of his term learning to create precious gems and offered his final project to the girl of his dreams. Annalise said no. She rejected him. Tears spilled down his cheeks and he choked out a quiet sob. How could she have said no?

Papillon ascended into his lair and walked forward, stopping just in front of his large window. He opened his gloved hand and a small, white butterfly landed and fluttered its wings. A devious smile spread across Papillon’s lips as he placed his other hand overtop of the butterfly, suffusing it with evil magic. “Fly now, my beautiful akuma, and darken his heart.” He watched as the now purple and black butterfly fluttered out of the window of his lair.

The tiny akuma flitted across town overtop of buildings and unsuspecting people. When the akuma arrived at the École Normale Supérieure campus, it quickly found the young man on the ground in the courtyard and descended. Landing on the gem that had fallen into his lap, the butterfly melted into it, filling it with darkness.

“L’ Incindie, I am Papillon. I am offering you the strength and power to light the sky with your burning love and win back the princess who stole your heart. In exchange, I only ask that you bring me the Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir!”

A low growl emitted from the man’s throat; he tightly gripped the gem he’d created. “You have my word.” He rose to his feet and a black light washed over his entire body. He grew larger and larger, and larger yet. Wings sprouted from his back and he roared, “ANNALISE!” 

Purple and blue flames licked the sky.

⭑･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*:✼✿ ✿ ✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

“No, no, no, and no, Alya!” Marinette exclaimed. “I can’t go on a date with Luka! Make an excuse for me, please! Why would you set this up? You know I’m not ready!”

“No, girl! What you need to do is to get out there and have some fun. If you sit around moping, you’ll never feel any better!” Alya popped a grape into her mouth and grinned at Marinette. “He will pick you up at the bakery tomorrow after school. I think you should go. I already told him you wanted to.”

“Oh no! Alya why would you do that? I’m not ready and I really don’t want to hurt him!” Marinette hissed, pulling a chocolate croissant from a bag and taking a bite. “I am still trying to stop thinking about,” she looked around and leaned in, “Adrien.”

“Oh Marinette, I don’t know what I’m going to do with you,” Alya shook her head, pressing her fingers to her forehead. “But really, if you don’t want to hurt Luka, you should probably go with him. You can let him know you’re not ready while you’re doing whatever he plans. Did he text you?”

Marinette shrugged and pulled a flake from her croissant. “I forgot my phone at home today. I was just so tired.”

Alya threw her arm around her best friend and pulled her close. “Everything is going to be okay.”

The ground started shaking and in the distance, they could hear people screaming. Marinette and Alya exchanged a look and both girls sprang to their feet, Marinette’s croissant falling to the ground. “Alya, please don’t go film. You need to get to safety. It sounds really dangerous this time,” Marinette insisted and grabbed her friend's wrist. “This is no time for your Lady Blog.”

Alya shook her head and took her phone from her pocket. “There’s no way I’m missing this! I don’t want to miss Ladybug!”

Pulling on Alya’s wrist, Marinette tried to drag her friend back to the classroom. “We need to go, Alya!”

“Sorry, Marinette!” Alya freed her wrist from Marinette’s grip and bolted off, joining the crowd of students flooding out onto the sidewalk.

As quietly as she could, Marinette slipped into the girl’s bathroom, double checking that nobody was present. She peaked inside of her tiny pink purse and whispered, “Tikki, I think there’s an akuma. We have to go.”

Tikki poked her head out, her large black eyes peering at Marinette. “You’re right! But be careful! You didn’t get any rest last night. I’m worried about you, Marinette!”

A small smile tugged at the corners of Marinette’s lips and she nodded. “You got it, Tikki.” She slipped into a stall and took a deep breath. It was a good thing that Miss Bustier let her nap during class. “Tikki! Transform me!”

Ladybug bolted through the bathroom doors and cast her magical yo-yo up into the air, easily catching it around the railing. She took advantage of the momentum and used it to pop up onto the roof. Running as fast as she could, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, the akuma soon came into her line of vision; it was one of the largest ones she’d seen yet. It was terrifying, almost paralyzing to look at. Was Papillon growing in power? There was no other explanation.

“Good afternoon, Milady!”

“Is it really a good afternoon when we have to fight an akuma?” Ladybug shot back grinning, bounding over a chimney and leaping over an alleyway.

“I’m pawsitive, Milady. It means I get to see you,” he winked, keeping pace with Ladybug.

“Careful, Kitty. The akuma looks pretty big.”

Smirking, Chat Noir landed on another rooftop and sprinted ahead. He looked back at Ladybug and called over his shoulder, “As they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall!”

Ladybug swung as fast as she could, but couldn’t quite keep pace with Chat Noir. The exhaustion hit her hard. She stopped for a moment to roll her shoulders and then continued. Her eyes widened as she arrived at the site where the fire-breathing akuma was rampaging. This was nothing like Guitar Villain's dragon. This dragon looked like it flew straight out of a fairy tale book. Black scales glistened in the sunlight and large claws sunk into the concrete. Behind him, buildings had been knocked down, revealing the path of his destruction. There were buses and cars thrown to the side with his powerful tail. For the first time in a long time, Ladybug had a large wave of fear sweep across every fiber of her being from the sight of an akuma.

Frozen, she watched as Chat Noir was struck with the dragon’s tail, slamming into a nearby building and falling limply to the ground. A low growl rumbled from the dragon’s throat and he looked like he was taking an enormous breath. Suddenly, adrenaline kicked in and Ladybug threw her yo-yo to a streetlight just above her partner. “Chat!” she called out, hopping down. Keeping an eye on the akuma, she extended her hand to him.

Gratefully, he took it, barely managing to rise to his feet. For the first time that day, he noticed how absolutely exhausted she looked. He pushed a button on his staff and smirked. “What took you so long? Did you need a catnap?”

Ladybug rolled her eyes and quickly grabbed hold of Chat Noir’s waist, tossing her yo-yo to another light across the street; they’d barely missed being barbecued. “I know they say cats have nine lives, but who knows how many you have left? This guy isn’t going down without a fight and I don’t think I can do this without you!”

Chat Noir nodded and interlocked his fingers, stretching his arms above his head. He stared at the dragon and smirked, “I’m just getting warmed up.”

“Hopefully not too warm!” Ladybug smirked, once more throwing her yo-yo into the air. She ran along the tops of buildings, circling closer and closer to the fire-breathing giant. Every time it stomped, everything shook within a ten kilometer radius. Her eyes scanned the scene to assess where the akuma was hiding on the akumatized individual. She scanned his body up and down, feeling like she couldn’t find anything at all.

Stealthily, Chat Noir climbed onto the dragon’s back. The beast tried to throw him off, but to no avail. Leathery wings extended and flapped, lifting the dragon into the sky. Chat Noir grabbed onto one of the spikes that formed a ridge all along the dragon’s back. How had he gotten himself into this mess?

Horrified, Ladybug watched as the dragon began aerial acrobatics, spinning and diving to and fro. She wasn’t agile enough to snag the dragon’s tail with her yo-yo; she felt completely helpless as she watched Chat Noir struggle to keep hold of the black dragon.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug shouted, throwing her yo-yo into the air. A spotted honeycomb fell into her hands. “What am I supposed to do with this?” she asked herself, but there was no time; Chat was falling. She swung in as quickly as she could, barely managing to scoop her partner before he became a crepe. The two landed and watched as the dragon continued to circle overhead. Her eyes scanned the scene and still she could not find what she was supposed to do with the honeycomb. She abruptly turned to Chat Noir. “What am I supposed to do with this? I can’t spot anywhere the akuma might be.”

“Do you think dragons always land on their feet?” he asked with a wink. “Do you know anyone who would be able to use the Bee Miraculous? The venom could knock him out of the air.”

“Chat…” she whispered, realizing what he was suggesting. She couldn’t abandon his side to get help; he’d already nearly died twice.

“Milady, I can hold him off,” he spoke firmly. “Please, go get help as quickly as you can. I don’t think the two of us can do this alone.”

Ladybug nodded as her earrings began to beep. “Be careful, Chat.” With a toss of her yo-yo, she pulled herself into the air and leapt from rooftop to rooftop, over chimneys and across roadways all the way to a rooftop across the way from her home. She dropped into an alleyway and detransformed; the honeycomb faded from existence. She ran in through the front door of the bakery, past her parents, and into her room. “Marinette!” Sabine and Tom exclaimed, her mother following her up the stairs. “Marinette, thank goodness you’re okay.”

Marinette turned around and nervously chuckled. “Yeah Mama, I was on my way home from school to grab a book that I had forgotten when the ground began shaking. I’m going to stay up here until Ladybug takes care of the akuma. Then I’ll go back to class!” Sabine nodded, grateful her daughter was safe. “Go watch the news, Mama! I need to study!” Reluctantly, Sabine left Marinette to her own devices and descended the staircase.

Letting out a deep sigh, Marinette threw open the chest where she kept her gifts for Adrien and dug down to the bottom. She pulled out the round box and touched the black spots in a pattern. The top of the Miracle Box lit up, a white light splitting it down the center, the top spreading open like a ladybug’s wings. She picked up the Bee Miraculous and, deciding she had no time to find anyone else, quickly closed the box and buried it under the gifts once more. “Tikki, Pollen, Unify!”

Ladybee looked at herself in her body-length mirror; yellow and black stripes intertwined with red spotted stripes swirled up her torso; both her arms and legs were striped like a coral snake. With haste and renewed vigor, she climbed out of her room and onto her terrace. Swinging as quickly as she could, she made her way back to the site where the akuma was relentlessly attacking Chat Noir and terrorizing the city, setting it ablaze.

With Chat Noir cornered, the dragon landed on the ground once more. The beast pinned him against a wall, claws sinking into the concrete around him. Ladybee could see the building cracking around him and moved in at once. “Venom!” she called as she landed on the dragon’s back and threw a punch through the dragon’s hard scales; it immediately stopped moving. Her heart sank into her stomach as she saw Chat Noir’s body go limp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much again for reading! Come hang out with me on discord! [Miraculous Fanworks](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks)
> 
> Or if discord isn't your thing, come hang out on Twitter! @yaboibellabean


	3. Mille Feuille

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The One with the Bakery

It was beyond time to end this. 

“Lucky Charm!” she cried, casting her spotted yo-yo into the air. An icepick fell into her hands. Remembering the dark jewel set between the dragon’s eyes, she suddenly realized what she had to do. She ran along the motionless dragon’s back and dropped down from the top of its head down onto its snout. With all the strength she could muster, she drove the icepick into the gem and it cracked; a tiny black butterfly fluttered out. “You’ve done enough harm, little akuma! I’ll release you from the evil which binds you!” Swinging her yo-yo out, she grabbed a hold of the akuma and released it. “Bye bye, little butterfly.”

Returning her attention to her limp partner, she tossed the icepick into the air exclaiming, “Miraculous Ladybug!” A sea of red, white, and pink ladybugs erupted into the air, sweeping across Paris, repairing the buildings, streets, and dissolving the dragon into thin air.

Ladybee found herself on the ground next to a young adult, a large red gem cupped in his hands. Through his disheveled bangs, he looked up at Ladybee in confusion. “Wh-what happened?”

“You were akumatized. But you and everyone else are safe now,” Ladybee replied, kneeling down next to him, closing his fingers around the gem. Her miraculous began to beep, indicating she had only minutes left until she transformed back into plain Marinette.

Eyes shifting to Chat Noir, she advanced quickly and threw her arms around him. He returned the embrace and rested his chin atop her head. Heat crawled up her neck, flushing her cheeks and her ears as she realized reporters and a live TV crew were advancing quickly. She quickly parted from her partner and grinned. They exchanged a look and bumped fists. Ladybee gave a small wave to the reporters and found her friend in the crowd. “Alya!” she called, “I’m looking forward to your next story on the Lady Blog!” She turned back to Chat Noir and grabbed him by his leather ear. “Come on, Kitty! We have to bug out!”

The two swung up onto a nearby rooftop and bounded over several more before ducking behind a tall chimney. Chat Noir closed his eyes and stretched his arms into the air. He was quite taken aback when Ladybee threw her arms around him. “You need to be more careful! I thought I was going to lose you for real this time.” He looked down into her teary eyes and a pang of guilt hit him like a brick. “Please, Chat, don’t act so rash. I need you.”

Her eyes teared up as she felt a bubble of emotion swell in her throat. Flashbacks of Master Fu’s near-demise flashed through her mind and suddenly, she didn’t feel worthy to hold her Miraculous. Why had Master Fu chosen her to be the next Guardian? She couldn’t protect Chat Noir, let alone the whole city of Paris. “Don’t cry, Buginette,” Chat Noir cupped her cheek in his hand and gently wiped her tears away. “Your wish is my command, Milady. I never want to be the reason that you cry.”

Her earrings gave her the one-minute warning and she pulled away from his touch. “I have to go, Kitty. I’m sorry.” As she turned to leave, he grabbed her wrist. “Chat! I have to leave!”

“You don’t have to,” he softly said and pulled her closer, “I can keep a secret.”

Ladybee’s eyes watered and she shook her head. “I am the Guardian of the Miraculous now. I...I can’t let you know who I am. If you knew, I would have to take away your Miraculous and I need Chat Noir more than I need anything else in the whole world right now.”

“Don’t you trust me?” His voice cracked as he let her hands drop.

“I do, Kitty, more than anyone in the world. And,” she paused and looked directly into his sparkling emerald eyes, “I need you to trust me.” With that, she leapt away and dropped into a nearby alleyway, barely making it before she detransformed. She dipped into her purse and pulled out two small, pink macarons and handed them to Tikki and Pollen.

Grateful, the kwamis took the macarons and rested in Marinette’s palms. “That was very close, Marinette. I’m glad you’re okay.”

⭑･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*:✼✿ ✿ ✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

Ladybug said she trusted him. It certainly didn't feel like it, but he also knew she was just doing what she needed to do to protect her friends and family, as well as herself. And the Miraculous. Who knows what would happen if Papillon found out Ladybug's identity and stole away all of the Miraculous? But even so, it still stung.

And then there was the whole Marinette thing. She still hated him. And of course, though Nathalie tried to reassure him that they’d dine together soon, he hadn’t seen his father in several days for more than two or three minutes at a time. Nino was busy with Alya again, and Kagami was probably busy with her own lessons. Chat Noir had never felt so alone.

He found himself perched on a rooftop not too far from Marinette’s house. Why did he find himself outside of Marinette’s again?

Bounding from rooftop to rooftop, he perched himself on the apex of the roof across from the bakery, scanning Marinette’s terrace. She wasn’t there. Probably for the best. But still, he noticed all of the lights in the house were on, including the ones in the bakery. He wondered if they were still open. He extended his staff and let himself down to the ground. Why was he doing this? He had two shoots this week; he didn't need to be eating pastries. The last thing he needed was to be chastised by his father for being bloated. His gloved hand hesitantly touched the bakery door.

“Why hello, Chat Noir!”

He looked down to see he was being cheerfully greeted by Sabine. Returning her smile, he was thankful it wasn’t Tom. One of their more recent encounters had been less than cordial. “Hi Mrs. Dupain-Cheng. You’re open later than I thought you would be.”

She glanced up at the clock behind her and turned back to him. “You’re right! I suppose you’ll be our last customer of the day then?” Opening the door wider and moving to the side, Sabine gestured for him to come in.

Swirls of vanilla and cinnamon filled his lungs. The scent was very familiar. His mind wandered back to the night before, standing on the terrace with Marinette, wiping her tears. _Marinette…_

Sabine closed the door behind him and followed him to the pastry case. Despite the case being nearly empty, Chat Noir thought everything looked incredible and wondered how they hadn’t sold out of everything today. His eyes wandered over the few contents in the case and stopped when they landed on the last mille-feuille. “I think I’ll take this one, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng.”

Sabine nodded and made her way behind the case. She pulled the treat out and, instead of putting it into a bag, placed it on a petite white plate. Chat Noir cocked his head to the side and she motioned for him to follow her out of the bakery and into their home. “Cats like milk, right?” she joked as she set the plate down at the table. “Go on and take a seat. Even the heroes of Paris need a break sometimes, right?”

Chat Noir didn’t know how to respond to the genuine warmth Marinette’s mother exuded. It was the most affection he’d received from any adult since his mother had passed. “Thank you.”

Sabine poured him a small glass of milk and sat down across from him. “You look lost tonight, Chat Noir. I’m glad you chose to be lost here.”

He was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second. People, especially adults, didn’t treat him this way. He averted his gaze to the pastry in front of him and picked up the small fork. “I’m glad too,” he quietly replied. He picked at the pastry before him in silence, occasionally sipping on the milk.

Sabine quietly observed the young man as he nibbled on the mille-feuille. His demeanor was normally much different. He was always loud and arrogant, cunning and witty. She suspected that this side of Chat Noir was the real Chat Noir. Her intuition said that even though he was one of the super heroes of Paris and loved by all, he was actually quite lonely. She sat with him until he finished and made eye contact with her again. As he slid off the white elevated chair, she mirrored him and picked up the plate and glass.

“Mrs. Dupain-Cheng⸺”

“Please, call me Sabine,” she interrupted and set the dishes beside the sink.

Chat Noir felt his face heating up; he scratched the back of his head and flashed an embarrassed smile. “Sabine, I wanted to thank you for your hospitality this evening.” He knelt down and pulled a small number of neatly folded euro banknotes from his boot.

“Oh no, my dear. You’re always putting others before yourself. You’ve saved the entire city of Paris more times than I can count. And you’ve saved my family. It’s on me.” Sabine winked and pushed the money back toward Chat Noir.

“But⸺”

“No arguing, Chat Noir,” Sabine firmly stated. “Thank you for your company this evening.”

He nodded and awkwardly stuck the money back inside of his boot. Turning to leave, he flashed Sabine the classic Chat Noir smirk and gave a quick bow. “I bid you adieu this evening, Madame.”

Chat Noir agilely pulled out his staff and with its help, landed back atop the roof of the building street. He slipped behind a chimney and adjusted the money in his boot for comfort. Just as he was about to leave, he heard his name. He turned around and saw none other than Marinette leaning over the railing on her terrace. She was looking all around for him. He’d been caught.

He stepped out from behind the chimney with his usual Chat Noir swagger and leaned against it. “Good evening, mon amie!”

When her eyes finally found him, she waved him over. He obliged, bounding across to her terrace, perching himself on the railing again. He suavely took her hand and pressed her knuckles to his lips.

“I bet you kiss every girl’s hand you meet, Chat Noir,” Marinette beamed and playfully tapped his nose.

“Only the most beautiful girls I meet,” he replied, leaning in dangerously close. If Marinette’s hair was the night sky, her eyes were glittering cerulean stars. Once more he found himself enveloped by her cinnamon and vanilla scent. How had he never noticed how beautiful Marinette was? He’d known her for nearly a year. Maybe it’s because she’d always been his good friend Marinette. And she still was, no doubt about it. But now she was also his beautiful friend, Marinette. _Platonic_ beautiful friend, Marinette.

Marinette scoffed. “Mama told me you had come by. You didn’t even say hi,” she averted her gaze and tucked her loose hair behind her ear. “But, um, I’m glad I caught you. I,” she nervously looked back into his sparkling emerald eyes. “I just wanted to apologize for last night.”

Chat climbed down from the railing and stood beside his friend. Together, they gazed up at the waning crescent moon. “There’s nothing to apologize about, Marinette.”

“Chat Noir?”

“My Princess?”

“You always put yourself in too much danger. I saw you fight that dragon akuma on TV today. You were so much more reckless than normal. Did you still have a lot on your mind while you were fighting?” Marinette’s gaze never fell from the moon. It looked so large on the horizon.

Chat Noir’s gaze, on the other hand, fell down to Marinette. The way the moonlight reflected off her skin, her hair, her eyes⸺she almost glowed. She was absolutely breathtaking. A breathtaking _friend_ , he reminded himself “Probably not as much as you have had on yours, ma chère. You look like you’ve been crying again.”

Part of him wanted to divulge to her the conversation he’d had with Lady(bee) after the battle, but another part wanted to keep it private. Would Ladybug really take away his Miraculous if he discovered her secret identity? She’d have to, he concluded. If for some reason he’d become akumatized, without a doubt, he’d give the information to Papillon. He knew it was for the best, yet he still couldn’t help but to take it personally.

A sad smile pulled at the corners of Marinette’s mouth. “Yeah. I almost lost a friend today. He was being pretty reckless too. I would be a complete mess without him.”

“Is he the one who broke your heart?”

Marinette was caught off-guard. She’d forgotten they’d briefly touched on the subject the night before. “No he’s not. And again,” she turned her body toward him and put her hands on her hips, “he didn’t hurt me. He doesn’t even know how I feel!”

Chat Noir stepped closer to Marinette and offered his hand to her. She hesitated a moment before she laid her hand into his gloved one. He pulled her close and placed her other hand on his shoulder and then his free hand on the small of her back. He raised their interlocked hands and stepped forward. She followed his lead. 

_Step, slide, step. Step, slide, step._

“So why don’t you tell him?” he cooed into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. 

_Step, slide, step. Step, slide, step._

“Because,” Marinette laid her head against Chat’s chest as they continued to slowly waltz around the terrace. “Because he is in love with another girl. I already told you that.”

_Step, slide, step. Step, slide, step._

Chat Noir twirled Marinette in place and then pulled her into his arms, her back pressed to his chest. “I don’t see how anyone could turn you down.” Inwardly he cringed. Plagg would've made a cheese joke.

Marinette melted back into his embrace and happily sighed. “Chat Noir, you must have it so easy. You’re handsome, witty, confident, and kind. I’m not sure why I⸺Ladybug has never seen it before.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

“No, Chat,” she pulled away just enough so she could turn to face him. “I’m not. I mean it.”

He couldn’t help but smile. Marinette was a light in everyone’s life, including his. “Why don’t you go after him anyway?”

“Because she makes him happy. Whenever I see them together, he’s always smiling. And it makes sense. She’s beautiful and talented, courageous and smart. He deserves to be happy and she makes him happy. I don’t compare to her.”

“I’m sure that isn’t true, Marinette.”

“Well,” she softly began. “It wouldn’t make me a very kind person to go after him and ruin her happiness. We live in different worlds anyway. I’m the daughter of a baker and he’s,” she let her voice trail off.

“He’s what, mon amie?”

She shook her head and buried her face into Chat’s chest. Marinette could feel tears stinging the corners of her eyes. “I thought I was done with this for the day,” she sniffled.

Chat Noir ran his clawed fingers lightly through her hair and gently followed her jawline with his nail. He gently raised her chin so that he could look into her eyes. He softly cupped her cheek and wiped her tears away with the pad of his thumb. “Ma chère, I have a confession to make.”

“Confession?”

“I’m in love with the girl behind Ladybug’s mask.”

Marinette’s eyes grew wide.

“And yet, here I am. I am kind-of-sort-of-but-not-really seeing another girl. She’s someone my father would approve of. We are close and we understand one another. But still,” he winked, “she is no Marinette.”

Marinette let out a sigh of relief; he wasn't implying he knew her identity. Which was great. She smiled devilishly. “So you would trade this other girl in for me, and then me in for Ladybug?”

Chat Noir stammered and quickly shook his head. What was he even saying? “No, ma chère. I wouldn’t trade you in for anyone in the world.”

Gently, he kissed her forehead and climbed up onto the railing.

“Chatto⸺Ch-Chat, wait!”

He turned back toward her, swearing she almost called him by Ladybug’s nickname for him. “Yes, Marinette?”

“Did you really mean that? Were you just trying to make me feel better?”

Chat noir closed his eyes for a moment. He had to choose his next words carefully, both for his sake and hers. He had put himself in such an awkward situation. Would he really leave Kagami for Marinette? His father would never approve. No, he told himself. He wouldn't. He wouldn't hurt Kagami and he wouldn't do anything to further distance himself from his father. He opened his eyes and looked back over his shoulder, winking. “The best secrets are the ones never spoken.”

Marinette looked down at her socks, subconsciously tugging at her hair with her fingers. She looked back up, her bluebell eyes meeting his sparkling emeralds. “I am not ready to move on from him yet, just like you aren’t ready to move on from Ladybug. But,” she paused, “but why don’t you come by the bakery in the daylight without the costume?”

“Ma chère, if I could, I would.” He pressed his index finger to his smirking lips, “But my identity must remain a secret at all costs.”

“So,” Marinette paused. She was glad her partner was keeping his identity a secret, yet suddenly and out of the blue, she was curious to know the boy under the mask. She wasn’t sure how to continue.

“If we were to meet in plain clothes and you never knew who I was, maybe we could make it work.” Not that it mattered. Marinette hated him. His father would never approve. He was kind of seeing Kagami, sort of? Maybe? He wasn’t sure. But either way, they could never make it work. He would never want to endanger her life.

“Chat…?”

“Mon amie…?”

Marinette wasn’t really sure how to put into words what she was feeling, but tried anyway. “Thank you. For everything. I hope I wasn’t too forward. I really have more important things to focus on apart from boys.”

He turned back toward her and offered his hand once more. Gently, Chat Noir brought her knuckles to his lips and suavely smiled. “Have a wonderful evening, Princess. You should try to get some rest tonight.”

“Adieu, Chat Noir. Be safe. And don’t be so reckless next time an akuma attacks!”

“Of course.”

Marinette watched him as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop until she couldn’t see him anymore. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to forget the lingering feeling of his embrace. "Chat..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much again for reading! Come hang out with me on discord! [Miraculous Fanworks](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks)
> 
> Or if discord isn't your thing, come hang out on Twitter! @yaboibellabean


	4. Melancholy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one with a date

Marinette sighed, eyes drawn to her floral lavender chest, which was now home to the Miracle Box. What was she supposed to do if one of the kwamis got sick like Tikki had? Master Fu wasn’t there to help guide her through this and he never taught her anything about healing kwamis or much else she thought she needed to know as the Guardian of the Miracle Box. Hadn’t Master Fu been selected to go through training for this? Maybe she could go get proper training? No. What was she even saying? She wouldn’t even join Audry Bourgeois in New York; there was absolutely no way that she could leave everyone and everything behind her to travel to Tibet on her own. And there was no way that she would leave Chat Noir alone to defend Paris from Papillon. It just wouldn’t be right.

Redirecting her gaze back to the mirror, Marinette let her pigtails down and ran her magenta brush through her thick locks. Her thoughts continuously shifted from her impending date with Luka, to the Miracle Box, to Chat Noir, to Master Fu, to Adrien, and then back to her date with Luka. He’d arrive any time. Suddenly, Marinette was feeling very self-conscious.

She stepped back from the full-length mirror and looked herself up and down. Was what she was wearing okay for a date? In her nearly fifteen years, she’d never been on a single date⸺unless that time she went to the movies alone with Adrien counted⸺which it didn’t. A taffy circle skirt fell from her hips and landed just above her knees. Her favorite black and white cherry blossom top was tucked into the waistband. Did she need her jacket? No. It was nearly July and wearing her dark jacket would make it look like she put no effort into her outfit because she wore it so often. She wanted to look casual, but not too casual.

“Marinette, you look so beautiful!” Tikki gleefully exclaimed, pulling a small, rhinestone cherry blossom hairpin along with her as she floated toward her partner. “I like this. Can I decorate your hair?”

How could she turn down her kwami’s simple request? “Of course, Tikki!” She tilted her head to make it easier for her tiny companion to slide it into her hair. Tikki buried herself into Marinette’s face and both giggled. Marinette decided that now was not the time to think about the Miracle Box or Master Fu, Chat Noir or Adrien. The only thing Marinette needed to focus on, she told herself, was taking Alya’s advice and having fun. Maybe she could fall for Luka. Not only was he handsome and a very talented guitarist, but he was also Juleka’s older brother. He was super cool and down to earth. He had that bad boy thing going on for him, yet he was so very sweet. Maybe the date wouldn’t be so bad.

Moving her hip outward and twisting her body, she checked to make sure the skirt didn’t look too short and smiled. She was going to listen to Tikki and leave her outfit the way it was. She snatched up her pale pink purse and draped it across her chest, taking care to toss macarons into her purse for Tikki. When she reached the bottom of the staircase, she saw her parents welcoming Luka into their home. Gasping, Marinette realized she forgot to put on shoes and ran as quickly as she could back up into her room. She hoped Luka didn’t see her and think she was running away from him and hiding. No, she reassured herself, he was finishing up his second year in lycée. He was more mature than that. She pulled a pair of bubblegum flats out of her closet and ran back down the stairs, nearly tripping over herself.

Luka, making small talk with Tom and Sabine, glanced over to the panicked Marinette and beamed. “Marinette!”

A light blush kissed Marinette’s freckled cheeks and a coy smile graced her peach lips. “Hi, Luka.”

“You look beautiful.” Shyly, he scratched the back of his neck. “I didn’t know we were dressing up. Sorry I didn’t wear anything nicer.”

Under Luka’s denim jacket, he wore a band shirt with the album art that Marinette had designed. As Marinette’s eyes wandered downward, she noticed his ripped black jeans and the splatter of colorful band patches on his black Converse. The fact he was wearing that album design on his shirt made her chest swell with happiness and pride. Did he know she'd designed it? “You look great, Luka.”

Tom and Sabine embraced one another and watched happily as their daughter interacted with this boy. He was a little older and more rugged looking than Tom would’ve liked, but his daughter liked him and that was good enough for him. “Look at them,” Tom whispered to Sabine, “It reminds me of us when we were that age.” Sabine sighed happily and snuggled into Tom’s side.

Luka thanked Tom and Sabine for their hospitality and held the door open for Marinette. She walked out onto the sidewalk and waited for him. “So, Marinette, what did you have in mind for this afternoon?”

“I, uh.” Oh no. She was losing her words. No, no, no, no, no! “I have never,” she paused, suddenly embarrassed. Her gaze fell to their shoes. “I have never been on a date before. I don’t even know what you do on a date.”

“Oh really?” Luka asked, surprise evident in his voice. “I thought you’d asked me out?”

Marinette sheepishly grinned, making a mental note to kill Alya. “I thought you asked me out, though.”

Luka extended his hand to Marinette and demurely, she placed hers into his. “Seems like we were duped, huh? I don’t mind so much though. I’m glad we can spend time together.”

“I’m happy to spend some time together, too.” She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear and, as they began walking, her steps quickly fell in sync with his. Maybe he did like her. She’d always wondered after they’d gone ice skating together if he really did _like-her-like-her_. She thought he might, but she also wasn't positive, after all, she'd never had a boyfriend before. Finding her words again, Marinette looked up at Luka and smiled. “Where are we going?”

“Let’s just get lost,” he laughed, gesturing toward the skyline. “Let’s get lost together in Paris. Maybe we will end up at the zoo, perhaps at a coffee shop, or maybe nowhere at all.” Luka looked down into Marinette’s brilliant sapphire eyes and grinned. “If we don’t have a destination, we’ll end up exactly where we belong.”

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Adrien wiped the sweat off his neck with a towel. Fencing practice had been especially draining. As usual, he was partnered up with Kagami and all he could think about were the words he’d spoken to Marinette the night before. He didn’t feel guilty because he’d said those words as those were very typical of his persona. He felt guilty because there was a small piece inside of him that believed what he’d said. The more time he spent with her on her terrace, the more familiar she became. Adrien was looking at her less and less as his good friend Marinette, and more as his wonderful and beautiful friend Marinette. Part of him wished he could take her on a date, for the sake of curiosity. He'd never been on a date of his own choosing and Marinette would be a fun date, he thought.

But she wouldn’t and he shouldn’t for so many reasons. She was already in love with someone else.

Furthermore, there was the confusion situation surrounding Kagami. Was Adrien seeing her? They'd spent quite a bit of time together and she'd tried to kiss him. She was a very kind, albeit brash, girl. They were close. He knew the moment he walked out of the locker room and into the common area, he’d see her sitting and patiently waiting for him.

Adrien pulled his black striped t-shirt over his head and slipped his white button up over the top, never bothering to fasten any of the buttons. He finished putting his fencing gear into his large duffel bag and made his way into the locker room.

“Hello, Adrien.” Kagami rose to her feet, her hands crossed neatly in front of her. She’d been waiting on the bench parallel to his locker.

“Hey Kagami.”

“We worked hard today.” A small smile washed over her coral lips as she stepped to the side so Adrien could set his fencing gear on the bench. “And you beat me for a change. Your concentration was very good today.”

“Thank you,” he said, his lips tilting upward into a small smile. Adrien opened his locker to find Plagg asleep, cuddling up to the package of camembert he kept inside his bag. He zipped it shut and closed his locker door. Turning to Kagami, Adrien extended his elbow for her to grab hold of. She eagerly obliged. The two of them walked in tandem to the courtyard of the school.

“We have an engagement this upcoming weekend with our parents.”

For a moment, all Adrien heard was the word engagement before his brain processed the whole sentence. The last thing he wanted was to hear about any engagement. With the way his father was, he half expected to be informed that he was betrothed. And that thought terrified him. “A game company asked my father to use me as a model in one of their upcoming games, and aside from monetary compensation, they’d dress characters in Agreste brand clothing, thus promoting my father’s business. That’s why we are going to the Saturday event at Paris Games Week. They’re showing a demo of the game.”

“I know,” she muffled. “Your father extended an invitation for my mother and I to join you.”

Adrien let out a nervous chortle, realizing she’d already known the circumstances. Whoops. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to⸺” What was that word Nino had taught him? “⸺I didn’t mean to mansplain.”

The corners of Kagami’s lips pulled upward into an amused smile. “It’s okay. Don’t be.”

“My father designed the superhero costume that they used in the game, you know. I’ll be wearing it on stage and,” he paused, glancing down at Kagami.

She looked up at him; he hadn’t finished his sentence. The way the sunlight reflected off of his eyes reminded her of spring grass. He was quite handsome. “Yes?”

“I was wondering if you’d like to dress as the superhero’s love interest and present with me on stage?”

Kagami dropped her head and stopped. “I don’t think I should.”

“And why is that?”

Kagami let go of his arm. “I am not interested in costumes or video games.”

“Are you sure? Because I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be on stage with.” Could he? No. He couldn’t and he shouldn’t.

Upon hearing his words, her cheeks flushed bright red. “I cannot. I have never played a video game in my life. I will not model a video game character. But thank you for the offer.”

Defeated, Adrien nodded and held out his arm for her to take. Kagami was quite clearly disinterested. They mustn't have been dating after all, which frankly was a relief. At least that was cleared up. He could do away with the guilt he'd been feeling after his midnight rendezvous with Marinette.

She took hold and together they walked to meet with Adrien’s bodyguard.

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Adrien leaned forward. “Can you let me off here, please?” Adrien’s bodyguard gave him a stern look in the mirror and pulled the car over. “Thanks. I’ll be back in a few. I really just need some fresh air.”

He got out of the car and began walking toward the spot near the bridge where he and his friends had sat together just a couple days beforehand. Adrien winced, recalling Marinette’s reaction to him trying to wish her farewell. Still, he went and sat down where Marinette had been, allowing his feet to dangle over the edge of the wall. Looking up at the bridge, he saw that André’s ice cream cart was parked there again. André’s ice cream cart always reminded him of Ladybug not showing up for the surprise he’d set up for her. But in hindsight, he was glad to have had the opportunity to share that evening with Marinette. It was how they'd become good friends, after all. He wondered if Marinette felt the same toward Chat Noir.

“Plagg,” he whispered. “What do I do?”

“What do you mean?” Plagg asked from inside his pocket. Adrien’s silence said everything Plagg needed to know. “Give me some camembert?”

A small smile tugged at the corners of Adrien’s lips. “Camembert, camembert. Is that all you think about Plagg?”

“Your life would be so much simpler if you thought about camembert more often,” the kwami retorted, dipping back down into his partner’s pocket.

Maybe Plagg was right. He thought too much. He needed to get out of his head. Adrien rose to his feet and began making his way back to the car. He needed to get home to finish his homework and practice his piano. As he rounded the corner where his bodyguard sat in the car waiting, his gaze landed on “Marinette?” Did he say that out loud? Shoot.

“Adrien?”

“Hi Adrien,” Luka smiled. “What brings you here to these parts?”

“I was out for some fresh air,” he gestured to his bodyguard. “I’m getting ready to go back home. See you guys tomorrow?”

Marinette avoided eye contact and visibly squeezed tighter onto Luka’s arm. “Yeah,” she meekly whispered. “See you tomorrow.”

“Catch you later, man,” Luka waved and continued down the street with Marinette.

Was it the gum thing? He really thought they'd cleared that up. Maybe she avoided him because of the prank he’d pulled in the wax museum? Silently, he slid into the leather seat and fastened his seat belt. He looked over at the empty seat and imagined Marinette sitting there like she had been after that day at the wax museum.

After the museum. That was about when she started to behave more coldly toward him. After his prank. In that moment, he wished he could go back and stop himself from pretending to be a wax statue. Maybe then, she’d still want to be friends.

No, no. Adrien didn’t need to think like that. It was a self-deprecating line of thought. It was unhealthy. They’d cleared up the gum thing. They’d cleared up the museum thing. She knew it was a prank and they’d hung out after. She didn’t hate him and, from a logical point of view, he was sure that she still wanted to be friends. 

She’d just been on a date with Luka. Clearly he’d just interrupted them. And her avoidance at school was nothing to be worried about either. Sure, they were friends, but she was, quite obviously, seeing Luka. It was natural to distance yourself from friends when you were in a relationship, especially friends of the opposite sex. Nino certainly had after he and Alya began dating.

So no. Marinette didn’t hate him. She was just busy with Luka. He needed to be reasonable with himself. He’d done absolutely nothing wrong. There was nothing he could think of that he’d done that would’ve upset her. Her reaction when she’d left the other day wasn’t him. Something had happened completely unrelated. The whole world didn’t revolve around him. 

It was best that he remembered that.

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Luka felt Marinette tense as she spotted Adrien walking toward them. What was he supposed to do? The closer he came, the tighter she squeezed his arm. It was probably best to act normal. It was what Marinette needed. It was very apparent she was still head over heels for him. Things were no different than they had been at the ice rink. And it sucked.

Still.

“Marinette?”

“Adrien?” Marinette seemed so timid. He wanted to know all of her thoughts, everything that crossed her mind, the things that made her happy and the ones that made her sad. He wished more than anything that he could do more for her and to bring the smile back to her lips.

“Hi Adrien,” he smiled. He didn’t feel like smiling though. Adrien was the source of Marinette’s suffering. He was blind. Marinette was a treasure. They were approaching the place they'd shared ice cream together. “What are you doing in these parts?”

Adrien appeared to tense up as well. “I was out for some fresh air,” he gestured toward his bodyguard. “I’m getting ready to go back home. See you guys tomorrow?”

Luka felt Marinette pull herself toward him; she was grasping his arm tightly. He was grateful for denim. But god, it took every ounce of self-control to not shoulder-check Adrien. He couldn’t understand how Adrien couldn’t get it through his mind that such an amazing, beautiful, wonderful girl was completely and utterly in love with him. 

“Yeah,” she barely squeaked. “See you tomorrow.”

“Catch you later, man,” Luka replied and continued down the street with Marinette. When they could no longer hear Adrien’s feet falling to the ground, Marinette loosened her grip. He glanced down at her, expression softening. “Did you want some ice cream or something, Marinette?”

She shook her head and then looked up at him, wet eyes catching the last rays of sunlight. “Sorry about all this.”

“Don’t be sorry,” he gently cooed and led her back to the place they’d sat just the other day. He let his feet dangle over the side of the wall and motioned for Marinette to join him. She did. “Is it okay if I put my arm around you?” He didn’t know what other sort of comfort he could offer, as she'd already rejected ice cream.

Marinette nodded and leaned into his embrace. “Sorry,” she repeated, her voice cracking.

With his free hand, he took her hand into his and gently rubbed her knuckles, silently communicating that it was okay, that there was nothing to be sorry about, and that what she was feeling was perfectly natural. The two sat with their legs dangling, unmoving, in silence, until the sun sank below the city skyline and the street lights began to flicker on, one by one. Luka sat up straight and shifted his body to face her. “Marinette?”

“Hmmm?”

“I just wanted to tell you that I think you’re a wonderful human being. You are kind-hearted and brave. You always stick up for your friends and think of everyone else’s feelings and needs before your own. You are so talented and smart and just, I don’t know, a better friend than anyone could ever hope to have. You’re amazing, Marinette.”

Confusion swept across Marinette’s eyes. “Why are you saying this? You sound so sad.”

“Because,” he cupped her cheek and smiled. “You aren’t ready to move on quite yet. You still love him and that’s okay.” Luka dropped his hand from her face and interlaced his fingers with hers. “You need to take your time. Please don’t force this on my account.”

“What are you saying, Luka?” For what felt like the thousandth time that week, tears threatened to spill over onto her cheeks. She didn’t want to cry again, not in private, and certainly not in front of anyone.

“I’m saying that you should take your time. I am here for you, regardless of whether we are dating or we are friends. Above all, your friendship comes first. Your friendship means more to me than you’ll ever know, more than being romantically involved with you. You need to let your heart heal, Marinette. I will be here for you, no matter what happens.”

Through her watery eyes, Marinette’s peachy lips tilted upward into a gentle smile. She nodded and rested her head on Luka’s shoulder. “Thank you, Luka. It means a lot to me. No matter what happens, you’re my friend too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I'll be better about updating from here on out, adhering to my weekly updates. Things have just been busy with finals and then holidays! Thank you so much for your understanding and patience! Thank you so much for reading! You have no idea how much it means to me that you took the time to read my work. 
> 
> Come hang out with me on discord! [Miraculous Fanworks](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks)
> 
> Or if discord isn't your thing, come hang out on Twitter! @yaboibellabean


	5. La Terrasse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one with the balcony

Marinette made her way up onto her terrace, wondering if Chat Noir would visit her again tonight. She needed someone to talk to. Her feelings were all jumbled up inside like an impossible tangle of wires. Leaning over the railing on her terrace, her eyes scanned the star-dusted sky, hoping he’d come to visit her again.

Propping her chin on her hands, Marinette closed her eyes. The night air was crisp, goosebumps prickling her skin. A gentle breeze softly caressed her cheeks. Marinette breathed in as deeply as she could and held her breath for several seconds before slowly releasing it.

Her eyes fluttered open to find Chat Noir on the building across the way. Marinette smiled and motioned for him to come over. He bounded across the street and perched himself on the railing beside her. “Good evening, Chat Noir.”

“Good evening, mon amie.”

“Why have you been coming by every night this week?” Marinette asked.

“Because I want to see your beautiful smile,” he replied. It wasn’t untrue, but it also wasn’t the full truth. Tonight, he was here for his own selfish reasons. Should or shouldn’t aside, he just wanted to see her. He needed her warmth, her friendship, because it ebbed away his loneliness, his sadness. “So will you smile for me tonight, ma chère?”

“I’ll do my best,” she beamed. Marinette crouched down, back pressed against the railing. She patted the ground next to her, “Come here, Chatton.”

Chat Noir climbed down and slid his back down the railing, positioning himself into a sitting position next to her. “Chatton,” he chuckled, “That’s what Milady calls me.”

Marinette’s eyes fell to the ground and she tucked her knees up next to her face. “But she isn’t your lady, is she? You’re seeing someone else, are you not?”

“I'm not really sure,” he paused. “Kind of? But not exactly. Until today, I thought she liked me. I mean, she tried to kiss me recently.”

“Oh really?” Marinette asked. “It sounds like she might like you.”

“But I pulled away, which might have made her think I’m not interested, so now I'm not so sure." He paused, going over his interaction with Kagami for the umpteenth time that evening. 

“Are you interested?” Marinette tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I think she's fun to be around. Underneath her guarded exterior, she is so very kind and compassionate. But I think she might’ve turned me down today. I'm not entirely sure. Admittedly, I’m not the best at social cues. I definitely might have misread the situation,” he explained, stretching his legs out in front of him.

“Okay, but are you interested in her as more than a friend?” She cocked her head to the side, noting how the moon reflecting off of his eyes made them glitter like emeralds.

“I think I am? I’m still trying to get over Ladybug, but I think I’m interested in her? I might also be interested in another friend, but I don’t know what our relationship is, she and I. She’s putting out mixed signals, you know?”

Marinette raised her hand to her lips as she let out an involuntary giggle. “Yeah, I get that. I was kind of there recently with the boy I’m trying to get over. But a few days ago, he finally made his feelings clear.”

“Lucky,” he whispered, gently resting his head between the bars behind him. “So like, I invited her to do something with me that would definitely confirm that we were more than friends, but she rejected my invitation. But on the other hand, she always waits for me and clings onto my arm whenever we’re walking together. I don't know. But...”

“But?” Marinette asked.

“But,” he continued, eyes reflecting sadness. “Even if she did like me, she’s just not Ladybug.”

“So then why lead her on?” Marinette asked into her knees, thinking about her own situation with Luka. Tonight she and Luka had both put all of their cards on the table and established that they were friends but also maybe a little more, but not too much more. They went on a date, but, according to Alya, that didn’t mean that he was her boyfriend. The concept was wild to Marinette and she wasn’t entirely sure if Alya was right, but Alya also knew more about this stuff. She had a boyfriend. 

Marinette had posed a good question. Chat Noir considered it for a while before he answered. “I don’t think I’m leading her on, per say. Ladybug has rejected me over and over again. I relented and promised her that I’d stop pursuing her. So while my heart belongs to her, seeing this other girl might help me move on. Besides, my father would approve of her.”

“But is that fair to her? Doesn’t she deserve to have your heart completely? Shouldn’t you completely move on before beginning to see someone else?” Marinette asked, thinking back to her conversation with Luka. “Shouldn’t you give your heart time to heal?”

Sitting in a comfortable silent, Chat contemplated her question for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. “That’s good advice. But if I’m wrong about our relationship and she _does_ like me, we’ve already started dating, technically. And I don’t really want to hurt her by backing out so early. If I don’t give her a chance, it’s unfair to her, isn’t it?”

Marinette bit the inside of her cheek, her gaze sweeping across her balcony to her chair. Was it unfair to not give her a chance? Would it be unfair to not give Luka a chance? His question left her with conflicted feelings. She wasn’t experienced in the world of dating. She’d just had her first date earlier that evening. And her conversation with Luka had made her think that people should just wait until their feelings go away before they date someone new. “I don’t know, to be honest. It’s a rebound if you don’t wait, isn’t it? Can rebounds result in happy relationships?”

Chat shrugged. “I’m not sure. This is kind of my first encounter with this sort of thing.”

“Really?” Marinette asked, her sapphire eyes meeting his. “I would’ve expected you to have a whole lot of experience, given how big of a flirt you are.”

His lips twisted upward into a wry smile as he shook his head. “Nah. It’s complicated. I’m not a flirty outside of this suit. I’m actually really bad at girls. Actually, I’m just not all that great with social interactions in general. Growing up, I only had one friend. It’s very, very recent that I’ve started interacting with people my age.”

“I never would’ve guessed,” Marinette gasped.

“It’s not that I don’t want to flirt with girls. But I don’t know _how_ to flirt. And I have to carry myself a certain way,” he explained. “I feel like I can be more myself while being Chat Noir.”

“You must’ve been so lonely,” she replied, gaze downcast. She looked back up at him, a warm smile upon her lips. “For the record, you’re pretty good at flirting. Your words to me made me feel all warm inside.”

A loud chortle erupted from Chat’s throat as a wide grin crossed his face. “Is that so?”

“Yeah. So why don’t you use your charm on Ladybug?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

The smile fell from his lips as he exhaled heavily. “I tried. I did my best. But she’s already in love with someone else.”

“I see,” Marinette said, allowing her voice trail off. “I think I’m in a similar position. I mean, kind of. My good friend, Luka, took me on my first date tonight and it was a ton of fun. We spent a lot of time laughing and talking. He sang to me while we sat on a bench in the park. Frankly, I didn’t know he could sing. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s a musician.” Marinette paused, choosing her next words carefully. “But um. We ran into the boy I love while we were walking. It was still really hard seeing him. I’m kind of embarrassed because I clung to Luka so hard and could barely speak to him. I really, really hope that I can get over him soon so that we can be friends and so that I can move on.”

Chat Noir’s eyes widened and his breath hitched in his throat. Was she talking about him? He stayed quiet, hoping she would divulge more of her tale because to him because he didn’t know how to reply. If it was him, it would make things infinitely more complicated. Because, if he was being completely honest with himself, he did like her, just a little bit. But also, he didn’t want to hurt Kagami and a part of him still didn’t want to be untrue to Ladybug.

Marinette adjusted herself so that she could see Chat Noir. “Luka and I had a lot of fun tonight. We didn’t have a plan and just kind of went with the flow. How did he put it? _’If we don’t have a destination, we’ll end up exactly where we’re supposed to be.’_ But then toward the end of our date, we ended up near the spot where I gave him up to the girl he loves. Luka and I dangled our feet over the Seine and watched the sunset. He comforted me. We didn’t leave until the streetlights began to turn on.” Her hand found his and she laced her fingers with his. “He told me that he wanted me to get over this other boy and to take my time with him and that it was okay if things didn’t work out romantically, that we’d still be friends. When we parted, he told me that even if he wants to be the reason that I smile, that it was okay if he wasn’t, so long as I still smiled. And all this is what prompted me to ask you about the whole leading someone on thing.”

Chat Noir was quiet still. He was trying to process everything that Marinette had just said, everything that had been implied. Was it him? There was no way. Was there? Because that was exactly where he’d been. Would there have been another person she’d run into? Maybe. But probably not. Their exchange had been exactly what she’d described.

“Cat’s got your tongue, Chat?” Marinette asked, giving his hand a squeeze.

The whirlwind of emotions twisting and crashing inside of him was almost too much to bear. Maybe he needed to come clean to Kagami with the same honesty that Marinette had with Luka, in case they were dating. He didn't want to be the reason Kagami cried too. If they _were_ dating, it would absolutely be important to communicate with her about his feelings toward Ladybug. He needed to find a chance to explain the situation to her. 

“Chat⸺are you okay?”

Aside from his mother’s funeral, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d cried in front of another person. Usually, he let his tears wash away down the shower drain, as it was private, the only place he wouldn’t run the risk of someone walking in on him. But now? He was just moments away from breaking. He felt Marinette’s hand on his back and with every fiber of his being, he wanted to recoil from her touch. Yet he didn’t. Instead, Chat Noir found himself leaning inward.

Gently, Marinette readjusted herself and gathered her partner into her arms. “It’s okay,” she cooed. “It’s all going to be okay, Chatton.”

“Please, Marinette, don’t call me Chatton.” Luck was on his side. The tempest of emotions was quelling. It very well could’ve been the eye of the storm, but it also could’ve been the end. Either way, he wasn’t at risk of a tidal wave in front of Marinette. There was no reason for him to get overly emotional, let alone cry; it would’ve been quite strange for him to be the one to cry after she’d been the one to spill her heart out. 

Plus, he wasn’t the one in her shoes. Well, he was. He understood. But her situation particularly wasn’t within his control. If she’d confessed to him in his car, he probably would’ve rejected her. But now, now he wasn’t so sure whether he would’ve rejected her feelings or not. Because he was beginning to see her in a different light; in so many ways, Marinette was just like Ladybug.

She stroked his messy blonde hair with her fingers and nodded. “Okay. I won’t call you Chatton anymore.”

“Thank you.”

“On one condition,” she continued.

“What’s that?”

It was her turn to comfort him; she never imagined the day she’d see Chat Noir break and he was so very close; he was on the brink. She slid her fingers under his chin and gently lifted his face so she could see his eyes. “It’s okay to cry, you know.” She stroked his cheek gently before continuing. “But why are you upset? I don’t understand. Did I say something wrong?”

“If I’m being completely honest, I’m not even sure why I’m upset,” he lied. He detested lying, but what choice did he have? He couldn’t just come out and say, _‘Marinette I’m actually Adrien and I also can’t return your feelings right now because you just mentioned that it’d be best to move on from Ladybug first. I’m in love with Ladybug. Plus it would completely complicate his life.’_ “Something in your story hit close to home, I guess.” That was better. Not exactly a lie. 

“Oh Chat,” Marinette breathed. She cupped both of his cheeks with her hands and smiled. If there was any way to cheer her chaton up, she would manage it before he left. She couldn’t let him return home while he was as upset as he was. “You know something? You’re very handsome, Chat Noir. I’m quite curious. Who are you under that mask? Because I think we would be very good friends.” They were already good friends, though he didn’t know the depth.

He leaned into her touch. The storm of emotions was now completely calm. Perhaps it was over. He closed his eyes, a small smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. “The best kept secrets are the ones you never tell,” he purred.

Again, Marinette repositioned herself and pulled Chat Noir’s head into her lap. She ran her fingers around the edge of his mask and then through his hair. “I still think you should come into the bakery without a costume. I think I would like the person under this mask. I think we could be very, very good friends in everyday life. It’s not like I’d ever know it’s you.”

Chat Noir’s lips curled upward into a smile. If they never ended up together, they certainly could be good friends. They had quite a bit in common, after all. “I shouldn’t be doing this, Marinette.”

“I won’t tell Ladybug,” she giggled, continuing to play with his hair.

“The guilt over this is going to eat me from the inside out,” he smirked, leaning further into her touch. “I shouldn’t be in your lap.”

“Hello? Is that you, whoever you are under that mask? You certainly don’t sound like Chat Noir right now. Chat Noir is confident, cunning, witty, and a giant flirt. He’s quite popular with the ladies, you know,” Marinette giggled. “I’m sure this isn’t the first time you’ve found yourself in a girl’s lap.”

He grinned. “That's for me to know and for you never to know.”

Marinette smiled down at her friend. “If I were your girlfriend, I would never let you stray from the house, you tomcat.”

Chat Noir laughed, and closed his eyes. The warmth she emitted and the comfort she offered was exactly what he needed. “But you’re in love with someone already and you have someone else in line ahead of me.”

“So? You could cut the line. You’re quick enough,” she jested. “Hey Chat? What’s your favorite food?”

“That’s a good question,” he chuckled. “My favorite baked good is definitely mille-feuille. I just have to be careful about eating too much of it. I have to maintain my girlish figure.”

“You are quite lean. Do you eat enough?”

“Of course!” he chirped, gazing up into her bluebell eyes. “I just eat a very clean diet. A lot of protein and vegetables. I tend to avoid carbs for the most part. Not too much sugar. How else do you think I defend this city? There’s no way I’d be able to do it without eating clean and working out.”

“Whoa, whoa. Hold up. Two things. First of all, you workout?”

“Of course, ma chère. How would I fight akumas without these guns?” he chortled, flexing the best he could while reclined in her lap. 

“Oh my gosh Chat. You’re goofy as all heck,” she bubbled, running her fingers through his hair, pausing just before she got to the leather ears atop his head. “Okay I now have _two more_ questions instead of one more. Does your suit give you any superpowers? Do you _really_ have to workout?”

“Don’t go spreading rumors, Marinette,” he began, pressing his index finger to his lips. “But I’ll let you in on my little secret. It, indeed, gives me superpowers. All of my senses are heightened and I can see in the dark like no other. And I suppose it absorbs shock when I get tossed around. Also, it definitely enhances my strength. But also, I still need to workout. Because it _enhances_ my strength. It doesn’t make me all-powerful. Bug again, don’t tell anyone.” Chat Noir gave Marinette a flirtatious wink, smirk on his lips.

“I promise I won’t tell anyone. But don’t tell anyone else, okay. We should keep this our little secret. I bet if Ladybug found out you were going around boasting about your superpowers to everyone, she’d be grumpy.”

“But I’m not technically doing anything wrong. Just telling the truth, Princess. It’s not like I’m revealing any identifying information. And it’s all stuff that, if people have been paying attention, they’d already know,” he defended, tone light.

“Okay, so thing two. I mean three. Technically three, right? It’s a request.”

“Go on…?”

“Can I rub your cat ears? Can you hear through them? Do they move on their own?”

He laughed and shook his head. “All part of the supersuit. Though I hear better, I still have human ears. They aren’t the source of sound,” he paused and thought for a moment. Perhaps they were what amplified his hearing. He’d never thought about it before. “And no, they don’t move on their own. They move with physics, with wind and gravity and that sort of thing.”

Like a chipmunk with cheeks stuffed with acorns, Marinette puffed out her cheeks. “Okay but can I _touch them?_ ”

Grin reaching his eyes, he nodded. “It’s such an adorable request. How could I deny you that? Go for it.”

Marinette squealed in delight, fingers immediately latching onto and rubbing the leather of his cat ears. Cat boys were definitely adorable. When she read manga, they were her favorite. Adorable. So freaking adorable. His visit with her had been so very enjoyable; it’d been exactly what she’d needed.

And it would seem that the feeling was mutual.

Chat smiled up at Marinette. She was a wonderful friend. Mille-feuille sounded delicious. Maybe he would swing by the bakery later this week after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! You have no idea how much it means to me that you took the time to read my work. <3
> 
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> 
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